Differential conveyer



March 27, 1951 F. K. SCHEFE DIFFERENTIAL CONVEYER Filed Sept. 17, 1946 5Sheets-Sheet l 2% ea N A. 4 v n v r 4 L r WW ZE MWfi nJ M/ 4 l u no 0 Qmwwflljl wwfi ww March 27, 1951 F. K. SCHEFE 2,546,476

DIFFERENTIAL CONVEYER Filed Sept. 17, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 f INVENTORMarch 27, 1951 sc 2,546,476

DIFFERENTIAL CONVEYER Filed Sept. 17,.1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q Q N l L EEv INVENTOR ZFEQE/P/CK KSC/ /EFE,

March 27, 1951 F. K. SCHEFE DIFFERENTIAL CONVEYER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledSept. 17, 1946 INVENTOR SCHEFE,

/7/1 Aflorneg.

K m m 0 M F Patented Mar. 27, 1951 DIFFERENTIAL C'ONVEYER Frederick K.Schefe, Gary, Ind. assignor to United States Steel Company, acorporation of New Jersey Application September 17, 1946, Serial No.697,537

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a differential conveyor and more particularlyto such a conveyor for decelerating steel sheets prior to piling them.Such a device is particularly useful in connection with shearing,conveying, processing and piling sheets at extremely rapid rates. Thosedevices now in general use in piling operations usually include aconveyor operated considerably slower than the shear in order to lap thesheets and thus materially slow down the forward speed of travel toprevent damage during piling, The sheets become lapped and develop atendency to abrade each other when discharged from the lapping conveyorand do not pile effectively. Other devices have also been suggested butthey too have not proved to be commercially successful for variousreasons.

It is an object of my invention to provide a diiferential conveyor whichcan slow down sheets automatically at their forward speed of travel.

Another object is to provide a diiferential conveyor which can be usedto deliver sheets at sharply accelerated speeds.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specifications and attached drawings, in which: I Figure l isa side view partly in section of the differential conveyor andassociated mecha- 'nism;

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 looking from the right;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of Figure l; Figure 4 is a sectional viewtaken on the line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing the braking mechanism;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion 0 the entry and of theconveyor;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view showing a modification; .and

Figures 8 to 11 inclusive show diagrammatically various positions of thesheets during their travel throughthe pass line of the conveyor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the reference numeral 2indicates a pair of pinch rolls which are operated in conjunction withconveyor. rolls 4 for feeding sheets Sinspaced apart relationship to theconveyor 6 of my invention. The conveyor 6 has a pair of spaced aparttop chains 8" and a similar pair of spaced apart bottom chains 10. Eachchain 8 is made up of a plurality of links [2 pinned together. Theendless chains 8 are mounted on sprockets l4 and I 16. A plurality ofrolls [8 to 29, inclusive, extend between the chains 8 and are rotatablysupported thereby in any suitable manner; Each of the endless chains Illis made up of a plurality of links pinned together and is mounted onsprockets 32 and 34. A plurality of rolls 36 to 41, inclusive, extendbetween the chains l0 and are rotatably supported thereby. The rolls ofeach conveyor chain are arranged so that the distance between thecenters of the rolls is equal to the circumference of the rolls. The topand bottom sprockets and chains are driven at equal speeds by gears 48and 59 from a variable speed driving means such as an electric motor 52.The sprockets l5 and gear 48 are mounted on a common shaft 54 and thesprockets 34 and gear 59 are mounted on a shaft 56 which is driven bythe motor-52.

As shown in Figure 4, the chains 6 are guided by rails 58 and 59 andchains Ill are supported on and guided by rails 60 and 62, thusestablishing a separation of the rolls of the conveyor to suit thethickness of the sheets being conveyed.

As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, each roll of the conveyor is providedwith an automatically applied brake 64. A spring 56 normally presses thebrake 64 against the end of the roll. An opcrating arm 68, pivotallymounted at 10, has one end connected to the brake 64 while the other endsupports a roller 12. The degree of braking action may be regulated tosuit operating conditions by changing the position of nut 14 on the rollshaft 16,- thus changing the force exerted by spring 66. In some casesit may be necessary to apply the brakes in a manner to stop rotation ofthe rolls gradually, but in the present description, it is preferred touse a brake adjustment that will stop the rotation of rolls almostinstantly. Tracks 18 and 80. for rollers 12 extend along the entry zoneof the conveyor for a purpose which will appear later. The peripheriesof rolls l8, l9 and 20 in the position shown in Figure 1 are in; contactwith a resiliently mounted bar 82 which is supported. on cross members84 and 86. The peripheries of rolls 36, 31 and 38 in the position shownin Figure l. are in contact with a resiliently mounted bar 88 which issupported on cross members 90 and 92. Cross members 84, 86, 90 and 92are supported by the uprights 94 and 9B.

As shown in Figure 7, the rolls maybe provided with a reduced portion 98at the point of contact with the resilient bars 82 and 88. The purposeof this construction will be explained below.

The operation of the device is as follows:

As the motor 52 moves the conveyor chains-8 and It around their path ofmovement, the con- -minute. entry zone of the conveyor. It will be seenthat veyor rolls with their brakes applied will move at a speed equal tothe speed of the conveyor chains. As the rolls approach the entry zoneof the conveyor, the brake operating rollers 12 contact the tracks 18and 8!] and force the brakes 64 against the springs 66 to release them.With the brakes released, the rolls are rotated by contact with theresilient bars 82 and 88. This increases the circumferential speed ofthe rolls at this point to a value twice that of the linear speed. .Ifit is desired to increase the circum ferential speed to more than twicethe linear speed, the diameter of the rolls is decreased at the point ofcontact 98 with the bar 82' and 88 as shown in Figure '7. As the rollsleave the resiliently mounted bars 82 and 88, the brake Operatingrollers i2 also leave the tracks 18 and 80, thus applying the brakes.

As the sheet S enters the entry zone, as shown in Figure 8, the rotatingrolls 3, i9, 20, 36, 3'! and 38 grip it and feed it forward at theperiph eral speed of the rolls which speed may be assumed to be 600 feetper minute. T

In Figure 9, sheet S has traveled a distance equal to two circumferencesof the rolls and the forward end of the sheet is shifted to a pointmatching the center line of rolls 2| and 39. However, the rollers 2| and39 have only moved a distance equal to one circumference of the rolls.

Although the brakes have been applied to rolls 20, 2!, 38 and 39 in theexit zone, the degree of braking action is such that the sheet S willrotate the rolls at the higher speed of the sheet.

In Figure the sheet S is shown discharged from the entry zone to theexit zone and the brakes of rolls I9, 20, 31 and 38 will function tostop their rotation with the sheet S assuming the same speed asthe'chain or 300 feet per A second sheet S1 is about to enter the thesheet S1 is spaced a distance of two roll circumferences from sheet S.This distance is nece'ssary to prevent the front end of the second sheetfrom overtaking the rear end of the first sheet as they progress throughthe conveyor.

.minute, has moved forward only two circumferences, and as a result thegap between sheets S and S1 has practically disappeared, but since sheetS has been-discharged from the conveyor it immediately gravitates to alower level onto a pile of sheets or another conveyor. Therefore, itwill be seen that no interference between the successively 'deliveredand conveyed sheets is possible. .;If desired,- the direction'of;travel, of'the differential conveyor may be reversed and sheetsdelivered to-the right hand end of the conveyor as shown in Figure 1,and delivered from the left hand end at accelerated speeds.

While two embodiments of my invention have jbeen shown and described, itwill be apparent thatjother adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope ofthe following claims. I claim:

1 A differential conveyor for sheets Or the like comprising an endlesschain of rolls, means for moving said chain around a given path oftravel, said rolls conveying said sheets through a part .of travel,means for rotating the rolls at one end x of the path of strip travel,means for normally holding the rolls from rotating at the other end ofthe path of strip travel, said sheets overcoming the braking action onthe normally nonrotatin rolls and rotating them at the same speed as therotating rolls when a sheet is in contact with rolls at both ends of thepath of strip travel. 2 A differential conveyor for sheets or the likecomprising two endless chains of rolls, means for moving said chainsaround a given path of travel, said chains forming a pass therebetweenfor-conveying said sheets through a part of the path of travel, meansfor rotating the rolls at one end .of the path of strip travel, meansfor normally holding the rolls from rotating at the other end of thepath of strip travel, said sheets overcoming the braking action on thenormally non-rotating rolls and rotating them at the same speed as therotating rolls when a sheet is in contact with rolls at both ends of thepath of strip travel.

3. A differential conveyor for sheets or the like comprising an endlesschain of rolls, means for moving said chain around a given path oftravel, said rolls conveying said sheets through a part of the path' oftravel, means for normally holding the rolls from rotating, means at oneend of the path of strip travel against which the rolls bear, means forreleasing the holding means when the rolls are in contact with the rollbearing means so as to permit rotation of the rolls, said sheetsovercoming the braking action on the normally non-rotating rolls incontact with a sheet and rotating them at the same speed as the rotatingrolls when the sheet is in contact with rolls at both ends of the pathof striptravel.

4. A differential conveyor for sheets or the like comprising two endlesschains of rolls, means for moving said chains around a given path oftravel, said chains forming a pass therebetween through which saidsheets are conveyed through a part of the path of travel, means fornormally holding the rolls from rotating, means at one end of the pathof strip travel against which the rolls bear, means for releasing theholding means when the rolls are in contact with the roll bearing meansso as to permit rotation of the rolls, said sheets overcoming thebraking action on the normally non-rotating rolls .-in contact with asheet and rotating them at-th'e same speed as the rolls in contact withthe roll bearing means when the sheet is in contact with rolls at bothends of the path of strip travel.

5. A differential conveyor for sheets or the like comprising two endlesschains of rolls, means-. -for moving said chains around a given path of.travel, said chains forming a pass therebetween through which saidsheets are conveyed through a part ,of the path of travel, a brake foreach roll, each of said brakes normally holding its roll from rotating,an operating arm for each brake, bars at the entrance of said conveyoragainst which normally non-rotating-rolls in contact with' a sheet androtating them at the same speed as the rotating rolls when the sheet isin contact with rolls at both ends of the path of strip travel.

6. A differential conveyor for sheets or the like comprising two endlesschains of rolls, the distance between the axis of said rolls of eachchain being equal to the circumference thereof, means for moving saidchains around an endless path, said chains forming a pass therebetweenthrough which said sheets are conveyed through a part of the endlesspath, a brake for each rcli, each of said brakes normally holding itsrcll from rotating, an operating for each brake, a roller at the end ofeach operating arm, bars at the entrance of said conveyor against whichthe rolls bear, a track for each chain at the entry side of theconveyor, said rollers bearing against said tracks to release saidbrakes as the corresponding roll bears against the bar adjacent thereto,said rolls rotating on said bars when their brakes are said brakesbeingapplied when their rolls leave their bars, said sheets overcomingthe braking action on the normally non-rotating rolls in contact with asheet and rotating them at the same speed as the rotating rolls when thesheet is in ccntact with rolls at both ends of the path of strip travel.

FREDERICK K. SCHEFE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileoithis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 726,161 Harri Apr. 21, 19031,319,190 Van Hcuten Oct. 21, 1919 1,789,822 Leguillon Jan. 20, 19311,831,015 Le Mare Nov. 10, 1931 1,89ZA31 Jones Feb. 14, 1933 2,130,323Lneckel Sept. 13, 1938 2,314,605 Arnold Mar. 23, 1943

